My comments in blue- Theology of Cluetrain Manifesto Cluetrain: A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. Relevant knowledge, shared globally, is a way to extend upon the concept of sharing knowledge and insight only in locality; we benefit from having local support, and need the support of people who care for us and are able to “be there” for us; but we have new experiences happening to us as individuals and as “connected” populations: we can reach across geographic and chronographic divides, and hear the human voice from many places. The writings which were carefully handled and read in public and taught in synagogues were kept as largely public readings, keeping the idea of the written word and the spoken word close together —- Paul’s letters were an early hint of the separation between message and recipient; the first “time shifted communications Later the words of books became something more often read in silence. But these communications were monologue —- the dialogue came after the hearing of the message, and the author of the message did not receive immediate feeedback. Days, but usually weeks and months passed before word of how the message was received got back to the sender. If the author and recipients are in closer , more compact relationship in terms of time — if the communication is more dialogical, then the formation of theology is more collaborative — the mix of the messages about how and where God is working takes on a different chemistry. Churches become less top-down message delievery structures and more grassroots and enabling. As the Cluetrain authors proclaim that “markets are conversations”; Churches and the context of inspiration and the receiving of call becomes grassroots; the renewal of laity; a “connected” laity who no longer have to rely on the Church heirarchy and the educated clergy for news of the rest of the world. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter—and getting smarter faster than most companies. The laity are better at connecting with one another than the tactics and strategies the Church using and trying to teach them. These markets are conversations. Their members communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking. Whether explaining or complaining, joking or serious, the human voice is unmistakably genuine. It can’t be faked. Most corporations, on the other hand, only know how to talk in the soothing, humorless monotone of the mission statement, marketing brochure, and your-call-is-important-to-us busy signal. Same old tone, same old lies. No wonder networked markets have no respect for companies unable or unwilling to speak as they do. There seems to be a common thread between the clueless in the business world and the “out of touch” in the Church heirarchy. Is it that we need an infusion of new and contemporary stories that continue in the Biblical tradition, but depart from them in that they hook into more contemporary myths; illuminate the underlying message of the old world mythologies by casting them as expressions of new art; dialogue with contemporary issues, and communicating the urgency of the gospel message by investing in communicative tools that enable the “conversation”. But learning to speak in a human voice is not some trick, nor will corporations convince us they are human with lip service about “listening to customers.” They will only sound human when they empower real human beings to speak on their behalf. The Church may begin to sound “real” again when it becomes an enabler and a conduit for stories being told and “proclaimed from housetops” (the ancient megaphone; the early precursor of mass communication, which has evolved into “many-to-many” communication — most strikingly implemented on the most social of the Websites. While many such people already work for companies today, most companies ignore their ability to deliver genuine knowledge, opting instead to crank out sterile happytalk that insults the intelligence of markets literally too smart to buy it. However, employees are getting hyperlinked even as markets are. Companies need to listen carefully to both. Mostly, they need to get out of the way so intranetworked employees can converse directly with internetworked markets. The Church needs to “get out of the way?” No, the leaders do. Leadership is the enabling of the conversation — and for us, the “conversation” is multi-pronged. God with us, God in us, God among us, All of us mixing it up, finding God through others, hearing God speak to us in the stories of others, being called out of the great dialogue that is happening into specific confrontations with mission and discovering what we have to give to that. Corporate firewalls have kept smart employees in and smart markets out. It’s going to cause real pain to tear those walls down. But the result will be a new kind of conversation. And it will be the most exciting conversation business has ever engaged in. When we are “called out”, we go on mission. We meet in the world on some misssion with others also called; part of our “story” is the process of our being called, and how the struggle happens. I think that people are evangelized when they identify with the experience of knowing they have a purpose and something to give; that they can make a difference , and that they are needed for the work of God. And best of all; that there are “partners” for mission who identify with us and our vision to see something built which will aid in the will of God being done on earth. | ||
if you only have time for one clue this year, this is the one to get…